Harbinger of Ash

War Aeternus #4

by Charles Dean

Lee has managed to survive encounters with the Heralds of three different gods, but the price he that has paid has been tremendous. Every step he takes leads him closer to victory in the cruel game that he had been forced to play, but it also takes him further down a dark path and away from the man he used to be.

After receiving a request for aid from a beautiful and mysterious messenger, Lee and his inner circle travel to nearby Birnefeld, a large and prosperous city ruled by the Dragon King. Before he ever arrives, however, Lee encounters a group of marauders ransacking the countryside, meets a strange new Herald who has set up camp in the region, and receives the dire news that the hero Brigid of Kildare has gone missing. To make things worse, a powerful new enemy is stalking him from the shadows, toying with his dreams and striking at his closest relationships. With the seeds of doubt sown, Lee has to choose whom he can trust before his nightmares become reality and everything he has worked so hard for goes up in flames.

This is the fourth installment of War Aeternus, a popular LitRPG Gamelit book that focuses on the adventures of Lee, a regular office worker stuck in a game-like world.

Genres: Fantasy, Audiobook, Adventure

524 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 9, 2018

Reviews

[Soo · Rating 2 out of 5]

10/03/21 Notes:

Time hasn't changed my mind on the book. Still disappointed by the quick fall into blahville for the MC's development.

The narrators that work for Soundbooth are great. However, the sound effects and music are unhappy additions to the production que. The balance is off and the effects are laid on top of narration. The lack of balance in volume of sounds lead to a painful audio experience.

A while back, I decided to wrap up this series because I want to see how it will end.

01/5/19 Mini-Review:

I really enjoyed listening to the first two books of the War Aeternus series. They were great. The ideas were fresh enough to garner interest and gloss over the story bumps. Then the story went in an unexpected and odd direction in the third book. Even with the sudden shift in narrative voice, I enjoyed listening to the audiobook.

I immediately picked up the ebook of Harbinger of Ash to read because I wanted to see if the shift in the Culling would be resolved. Nope. The story started to fall apart for me in the Culling and this book made me lose all interest. Lee is no longer the character built and portrayed in the first two books. The changes were too abrupt and badly implemented. It sucks because I thought I had another great LitRPG to add to my reading list.

[XR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lee's having to learn some unavoidable lessons when it comes to making a better world. It's brutal but needs must.

[Tory · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I really liked this book I have to be honest in that I personally didn't enjoy it as much as the previous books, I still liked it at the 4 star level and feel that it's easily 5 star quality though. The book somehow manages to feel like both a lot and nothing happen throughout most of it at the same time, the story progresses but the only thing I can think to compare it to ultimately is a set up episode with a mini boss, or "your princess is in another castle" despite the larger scale of the conflict in it. What i mean to say is while some small revelations are made it doesn't really give the feelings of anything being resolved leaving lots for the next book. The main character also spends less time in his original world in this book and in a way that didn't quite scratch the itch I hoped. I've said this before it's hard to write reviews for good books because it's easier to criticize something than to express enjoyment in words so to clarify the things above are personal feelings not criticisms and the book is still a good continuation of one of my favorite series and it was brought to life fantastically by the group over at Soundbooth Theater.

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another top notch continuation of the series

This was by far my most enjoyable story of the series by far, mainly because of Lee's advancement or character but also because he truly grows as a person and player. This story takes him on a twisting, insanely wild and sometimes gut wrenchingly turning ride. But oh man does it pay off big in the end. I can't recommend this story enough to have everyone read it. There is more fun, insanity and drinking in this story that makes it wonderful and a story that you need to read.

There are so many other characters to talk about that are wonderful in the story and are true key members of Lee's shenanigans. My favorite has to either go to Jade, or to Dave. Each to their own. But I will say this story is by far the best in the series you a must read.

I can't happily say enough how much I truly enjoyed this story. They continue to get better as each one comes out and this is no different. Easily a 5 star book with a wish to be able to score it higher.

[Ian Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better than it was

It took a little while to get engaged with this one. Pretty soon I was enjoying Miller's view of Justice (I can't help but hear his dialog in the fake Arnold Schwarzenegger voice from the audiobooks). Lee was harder and more vicious this time. I could understand his position. Ling, Brigid, Jade By the end a rip roaring romp with murder and explosions. I had fun. That's what I want in a story.

[Dayton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, This Is Where I Stop

This has been a fun series. I thoroughly enjoyed the first several entries. Harbinger of Ash continues where the last book left off, which, sadly is a direction I don’t enjoy.

Three things bothered me the most:
1. Jade. I understand her now. She loves anime and uses it to make their horrible reality less so. But I don’t like her. She diffuses most tense moments and makes light of a situation that should feel heavy. And she’s on most pages.

2. (Minor spoilers) Lee is assaulted by another herald through his dreams. This happens so often that for a huge portion of the novel I was expecting him to wake up. Again: tension is diffused. Nothing feels real.

3. The series is shaping up to be in the Harem genre. I don’t have a problem with the genre, but I didn’t get into the series for that purpose. I enjoyed the first novels for the adventure and interest in the universe.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book out of the 4 there have been. It offered a lot more answers to some questions I had from previous books. A lot of people may not have liked this book due to how the MC progressed. If you have an open mind it will be a great read for you. Its about a man having to make tough decisions were others would not. Although I do not like how the system forces you to act a specific way which took away free will but I did not write the story. The ending left much to be told in the next books. Unfortunately I didn't get complete closure with the ending so I am excited for the next novel. Very well written and I thoroughly enjoyed all the characters the old man made me laugh out loud so many times. I will avoid throwing out spoilers because its totally worth the read.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This had a great world, great set of mysteries, and compelling adventures for the earlier books. This one took the MC down a dark side path I just can't get behind. I kept holding out to the end of the book looking for the character to hit a redemption mini-arch, but that never happened. And by the end of it, he'd pretty much burned all his bridges to his good name. So, I'm out. I have no reason to follow the series any longer.

[Chris Fosland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have found this series (and this book) entertaining. However, I am waiting for the final judgement until after the 5th (and presumably final) book. Presently, I have a hard time caring too much about any of the characters in any meaningful way. Augustus isn't exactly someone to root for and Lee spends the better part of 3 books in a moral dilemma over cheating on his girlfriend meanwhile having no issue with killing or torturing other players.

[Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the weirdest litrpgs I've read

I really enjoy the lack of seriousness with which this author writes his books. Quirky sense of humor. Los of wall breaking and a conventions worth of anime tropes.
The pacing is a bit strange but it still is a breath of fresh air for me.
The book of Augustus remains one of the most exploitable things that is barely used. But using it will would ruin the story I guess.

[Bolajide Adeyoye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why are you so awesome?

This series is amazing...at first I was worried about how the story was going to go but then when it really started rolling, a mere four to five hours later I looked st the progress line and was like "oh, no! It's almost over!" I like how this story has kept evolving. I like how the characters have kept evolving. This is a great series.

[Benjamin L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced

The only warning I would give, if you have a problem with people doing bad things for the right reasons, this book isn't for you. The main character does many things that are morally questionable; but, he does them for the greater good.

That being said, I loved it. It wasn't the best book in the series; but, it was definitly worth the read.

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book four

Mistakes: I found only a couple.
Plot: the mind attacks didn't really interest me. I'm more of a face to face kinda person, so sneaky attacks like that don't hold my interest.
Characters: I like Lee and his party, they kept me laughing the entire book.
Solid 8/10

[David L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

First and foremost I’d to congratulate Charles Dean for his work on The series “War Aeternus”. I have finished all 4 books each as captivating and entertaining on its own unique way. A big shout out to the amazing work of Jeff Hays and Annie Ellicott from Soundbooth Theater. This is my 5th book I have finished from Charles Dean ( The Heroic Villain). This was my introduction to litrpg. I’m very pleased on how the scenes were painted to the point of its smallest details( especially battle scenes). Also I’m just going to put this out here, Soundbooth Theater is a masterpiece. I think the combination of both how detailed Charles is and how deep Jeff Hays gets into each character. The scenes are narrated to perfection. Where as in other narrative teams they need to point out certain emotions, Soundbooth theater is able to bring it to life with no description needed. You can feel how each emotion, mood is happening as its played out. There is a difference in describing and acting out the scenes. I’m very pleased with how they operate. I believe its a perfect combination like wine and cheese. So as a reader, I’d rather pay more for quality work to have Soundbooth Theater narratives. It’s such an amazing difference compared to other audiobooks. It can really ruin a good book to be honest, if the narrative team is not as competent and passionate with the work of the author. I seen it happen, and would just like to give authors and readers out there the outlook on both teams. Like I mentioned earlier I’d wait and pay more to have a team like Soundbooth theater work passionately and bring the book to life. I’m not knocking other narrative teams but if anything I want to motivate them to improve and use them as an example. I have waited to finish all 4 books before reviewing. I wanted to have an overall outlook on the series. Each book you become closer and closer to all characters. You can feel the transition and growth of each character throughout the series. I’d love to see maybe War Aeternus 5 one day. There was another post that made a good point, when we want a series to continue, a good way to do that is to promote all previous books. So that others readers are aware and can generate the demand for the author. So if you are a fan, like myself. I’m going to do my best to spread the word and preach War Aeternus ! Follow the God of alcohol and crafts! Bring as many followers as you can! For justice and Glory!

[Kristoffer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is by far the worst book in the series. The main character is becoming a terrible person. He enjoys torturing people now and loves to go out killing people. He also enjoys threatening people and making good on those threats when they are just doing annoying stuff. It was frustrating that Lee was suddenly so different from the past books, and he is now a person I dislike. Maybe there is a herald doing subtle mental manipulation that changes his personality, which would make his behavior excusable, but it was never stated in the book that another herald was manipulating his personality. The book also spent barely any time in the real world, and some of my favorite parts of past books were the time in the real world. They were one of the things that really made this book stand out from other LitRPG works. I also felt like the book ended before it was finished. There was a major loose end that didn't get tied up but that I didn't feel should be part of another book. I wanted it finished up in one book so that some new thing could be added to Lee's story or one existing element of his story, such as the search for the world stones, could get more focus. I am disappointed with this book, but there were at least enough good little bits for the book to get three stars. Also, the Dave character is way worse than he used to be. He is now lecherous and murder happy rather than just a crotchety old man who is good at fighting when he needs to. Maybe Charles Dean was really angry at the world when he wrote this book. It totally ruined some characters.

[Andrew Vachon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Possible spoilers?

I really liked the first 3 books of this series, so I also wanted to like this book. It was painful to get through.

Why?
The damn ever present harem. In the other books, it was just 2-3 women that wanted the MC which was pushing it but fine. The books didn’t focus on the harem, they were just kind of there. Unfortunately this books is entirely about the harem. Even the main plot of the book, which is to kill other heralds to win the game, took a side line to focus on the harem for 90% of the book. It was cringe worthy, the MC is a whiner idiot about it and the whole thing was a mess. Usually I can power through a book the long in about 3 days or so, this one took me almost two months. I understand having a romantic interest for the MC but the Harem trope that’s become a trend in LitRPG is terrible. It’s just a bunch of wet fantasy bullshit where the author puts his awkward teenage fantasies on paper.

I’m sorry to say but after this slap in the face, I probably won’t be picking up another book but Charles Dean.

[Scott Wozniak · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story got worse, and the character were so shallow, stupid and immature that I didn't like them or care if they won. The author seems to think that good leadership is being cruel and a bully, because that's all the main character does--and what his friends advise him to do more. He convinces people to follow him by killing and/or torturing them.

Worse of all, he enjoys it, during and after. And then justifies it. The girls start telling him that he's a "king" and no one women could be enough for him, encouraging him to start his harem. And the battle doesn't include any clever tactics. The main character doesn't learn anything about the overall plot...this book was truly bad on every level.

Sad to see a series start strong and then flop so hard.

[Myth Oceanas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the first 2 books, book 3 started to get repetitive and drag but Jade saved it for me towards the last half.

Book 4 starts to become a mess, everything is just a rehash of stuff from the previous books, same jokes etc. Lee is changing, but very inconsistently. The was a decline in his character in book 3 which was fine, but now I can't tell what is going on with him, he is borderline psychotic. Also, the pacing is really slow and the overall plot doesn't advance much.

My overall synopsis is that this book is pretty much just filler, all bones and no real meat in the story.

[Collin Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author starts to lose me

Generally a good book, however I feel like the plot has some strange holes in it that could have been fixed in earlier books with some simple descriptions.

I enjoyed the book but the writing of the people is very two dimensional at times. It also doesn't help that the characters all boil down to one or two traits and don't exhibit any other. The plot is good but has some holes in it.

Trying to keep it as spoiler free as possible. If you enjoyed the previous books for the action, you will enjoy this book. If you are looking at the deeper context and looking for more litrpg mechanics, it is a little lacking.

[Gregory Allanther · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you liked the first three you'll like this one more!

This continues the story from where the last novel left off but leads the characters in new directions.

Pros: good plot; interesting characters with depth. If you like a good story, this is a good story.

Cons: Limited grammatical errors/punctuation.

All in all, this book was entertaining, even more so than the first three, but feels like it was a little rushed in the final editing stages. Wouldn't surprise me if those edits get smoothed out on next version.

[erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

story was great until.

these books have ben enjoyable, but the MC is slowly growing into a hard to like character. Now (spoilers) he doesn't even have full control of his actions, but is considered by his stats. if his stats control his action then he is no longer an individual since he lost the ability to make choices.

[Fadswaffer Mc Truffles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book yet

So glad that this story actually moved forward with the overall story. Lee became stronger, took a few women, and then started working on conquering kingdoms. Way to go blue

[Rodger Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hmmm I think that this title sure speaks to what the story is about. I am still wanting to know more about Augustus. I mean who is he really? Why do people not like him? Also I can't help but want to see what happens to Lee when he becomes a god. That is going to be quite interesting.

[M.A. Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good stuff!!!

A great addition to series and a really dark but satisfying ending. I am very much looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Well done Chuck, well done.

[Javier Medero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Storyline continues to improve

Good litrpg story, game mechanics minimally show, no sex harem action. Lots of violence and battles.
Great character development, just wish the books came out quicker.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable

Okay, I walked away from this a couple of times but I came back. I don’t like the way the MC is going and what he is really becoming. I do like the overall story though and look forward to the next book.

[Christopher Bowman · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just can't!!

I can't finish this mess. Jade is so annoying. It's fan service gone horribly wrong. The early books were good. Now the story just stops because is screaming something stupid.

[Verne Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good continuation of the series.

As before its an interesting premise and system, with decent characters and good progression.
Some of the characters are a little 1 dimensional and hopefully we will see some attention put to them in future books.

[Grant Merrifield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

10 stars .
All hail Charles Dean who has written another epic book I highly recommend this book is a lot of fun to read I'll probably read it again really soon

[Daniyal Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

AWESOME AWESOME

This book is awesome and I love they way it went. This is what I really about this series, the growth of the MC is great.